Microsoft 365 vs Proton Workspace (2026)

The current plan names matter

The older Proton Business Suite name is retained in this URL for existing readers. Proton introduced Workspace Standard and Workspace Premium in 2026, with existing Business Suite customers moving to Workspace Standard. Compare the new Workspace plans and actual entitlements, not a retired price card.

Choose Microsoft 365 Business Premium when your team depends on desktop Office, Teams, OneDrive and centrally managed Windows devices, and you can operate its included security controls. Choose Proton Workspace when privacy-focused email and storage are central requirements and your users can work effectively in its current apps. Neither is a universal winner. Test the applications and data flows that make your business run.

What is included

Microsoft's Business Premium page describes the productivity bundle and security capabilities. Microsoft Defender for Business is included with Business Premium, which can eliminate an incremental endpoint-security purchase if its coverage meets your needs. Microsoft also includes device management and identity controls, subject to the exact license and setup. Confirm your tenant's assigned licenses and configuration; paying for a capability does not mean it is active.

Proton's current plan comparison lists Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, VPN and Pass in Workspace Standard. Premium expands storage and meeting limits and adds data retention policies and Lumo. Check the exact app, platform and admin feature you need. An end-to-end encryption model is a meaningful differentiator for certain data, but it does not solve endpoint compromise, account recovery or accidental sharing.

Cost for a real team

Microsoft lists Business Premium at $22 per user per month, paid yearly, or $26.40 with a monthly subscription in the US on the current product page. At the stated annual-commitment rate, 10, 25 and 50 staff represent $220, $550 and $1,100 per month respectively before taxes and add-ons. The monthly subscription equivalents are $264, $660 and $1,320. Confirm whether Teams is included in the selected variant, any promotional price, and renewal terms.

Proton's public plan page can show localized or promotional prices. Request a US quote or use the live checkout for Workspace Standard and Premium at 10, 25 and 50 seats, including billing term, taxes and renewal. Add any separate endpoint, device-management or integration service you would need. A per-seat comparison without those missing capabilities is not a total-cost comparison.

Pilot the switch, then decide

Inventory mailbox size, shared mailboxes, calendars, Office macros, file formats, Teams meetings, devices and external collaborators. Select a small group that performs all of those tasks. Test migration, file exchange, mobile access, offboarding, administrative recovery and a rollback route. Ask the team which workflows fail or cost more time. Write down security controls you will keep, replace or add.

For an existing Business Premium customer, first verify Defender, MFA, device policy and backup settings before paying for more tools. For a new privacy-focused team, test Proton with representative documents and partner communications. A platform change is justified when it solves a documented requirement and the team can run it reliably.

See the Google Workspace vs Proton comparison, free assessment, methodology and affiliate disclosure. This is documentation research checked September 25, 2026, not hands-on product testing; no commission is assumed from the official vendor links.